Method and program for linking dynamics simulation and kinematic simulation

• US 7,398,190 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Issued: 07/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kondo, Koichi, Yoshida, Mitsunobo
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah; Kamini S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gebresilassie; Kibrom K
• Application Number:
  US10/743,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20040186698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: 703 1- 28, 700/25, 700/28, 700/6, 700/17, 700/19, 700/30, 345/653, 345/659, 345/473, 368/229
• US Class Current: 703/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/17 Mechanical parametric or variational design

Abstract

A mechanism simulation method of using both a dynamics simulation and a kinematic simulation is described. In the dynamics simulation, a behavior of a mechanism is simulated using a dynamics model including a continuous system equation having a plurality of variables. In the kinematic simulation, a geometrical operation of the mechanism is simulated using a three-dimensional mechanism model including a plurality of mechanism elements. A value of one of the variables of the continuous system equation is calculated by a first simulator that executes the dynamics simulation. Referring to a table that represents a correspondence between the variables and the mechanism elements, a mechanism element corresponding to a variable having the calculated value is identified. Information specifying the identified mechanism element and the calculated value of the variable is transmit to a second simulator, which executes the kinematic simulation based on the information.

Claims

1. A computer readable storage medium storing a computer program configured to cause a computer to execute a method for simulating a mechanism, said method comprising:

reading data representing a plurality of variables of a continuous system equation of a hybrid model described in a hybrid model programming language having a class definition functionality based on an object-oriented approach;

reading data of a three-dimensional mechanism model representing a geometric constraint relationship between a plurality of mechanism elements included in said mechanism;

extracting, from the data representing the variables, a plurality of selective variables each of which enables to be associated with any one of the mechanism elements wherein the mechanism elements include a rotation angle or displacement of an actuator;

extracting, from the data representing the mechanism elements, a plurality of selective mechanism elements each of which enables to be associated with any one of the variables;

receiving a selection which is made by a user and is indicative of a combination of one of the plurality of selective variables and one of the plurality of selective mechanism elements, to generate a table that represents a correspondence between the variables and the mechanism elements based on the selection, wherein the one of the plurality of selective variables in the combination is selected by selecting a class of predefined hybrid model to which the selective variables belong, and selecting a member variable in the class;

calculating a value of one of the variables of the continuous system equation by a first simulator that executes the hybrid simulation in which a behavior of the mechanism is simulated;

identifying a mechanism element corresponding to a variable having the calculated value, referring to the table;

transmitting, to a second simulator, information specifying the identified mechanism element and the calculated value of the variable; and

executing a kinematic simulation by calculating a transformation matrix for each of said plurality of mechanism elements based on the data of the three-dimensional model.

2. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 1, said method further comprising:

inputting, from a state transition model, a control signal from an external mechanism control software system.

3. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 1, said method further comprising instructing the computer to store the generated table to a file.

4. A method of simulating a mechanism, comprising:

reading data representing a plurality of variables of a continuous system equation of a hybrid model described in a hybrid model programming language having a class definition functionality based on an object-oriented approach;

reading data of a three-dimensional mechanism model representing a geometric constraint relationship between a plurality of mechanism elements included in said mechanism;

extracting, from the data representing the variables, a plurality of selective variables each of which enables to be associated with any one of the mechanism elements wherein the mechanism elements include a rotation angle or displacement of an actuator;

extracting, from the data representing the mechanism elements, a plurality of selective mechanism elements each of which enables to be associated with any one of the variables;

receiving a selection which is made by a user and is indicative of a combination of one of the plurality of selective variables and one of the plurality of selective mechanism elements, to generate a table that represents a correspondence between the variables and the mechanism elements based on the selection, wherein the one of the plurality of selective variables in the combination is selected by selecting a class of predefined hybrid model to which the selective variables belong, and selecting a member variable in the class;

calculating a value of one of the variables of the continuous system equation by a first simulator that executes the hybrid simulation in which a behavior of the mechanism is simulated;

identifying a mechanism element corresponding to a variable having the calculated value, referring to the table;

transmitting, to a second simulator, information specifying the identified mechanism element and the calculated value of the variable; and

executing a kinematic simulation by calculating a transformation matrix for each of said plurality of mechanism elements based on the data of the three-dimensional model.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

inputting, by a state transition model, a control signal from an external mechanism control software system.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising storing the generated table to a file.